Submitted by Beverly Gerdts on March 18, 2009

Navy Casualty List Has Names of Four In Area
Source: “Muscatine Journal”, Muscatine, Iowa, Friday, May 15,1942 pg 2

The U.S. Navy department casualty list No. 3 issued today contains the names of four young men from Muscatine and nearby surrounding communities missing in action during the period from Dec.7, 1941 to April 15, 1942. They are:

Earl E. Hinman, son of Mr. and Mrs. C.C. Hinman, Muscatine Island
Glen L. Allen, son of Mr. and Mrs. Harlan Allen, Wapello
Charles T. Odle, son of Mr. and Mrs. R. E. Odle, Wapello
John D. Musser Jr., son of Mr. and Mrs. John D. Musser, Lone Tree


Another Muscatine youth, Bruce E. Watson, son of Mr. and Mrs. Bruce S. Watson, 114 Park avenue, is listed by the Navy as missing in action, but the report concerning his fate was not issued until after the period covered by the Navy department’s third summary.


The two Wapello boys, who were close friends, served together in the Asiatic fleet and the last word from either of them came just prior to Dec. 7. Allen has a brother, James Allen, living in Muscatine.


The Odle boy, the son of Robert and Myrtle Hartsock Odle, was born in Wapello, May 8, 1918, and his parents reside on a farm three miles north of Wapello. He received his early education at Wapello and was graduated from Grandview high school in June 1940, entering the service only a week after his graduation. He trained in California and in Hawaii before joining the fleet 14 months ago. A brother Hilton, two years younger then Charles, is also in the Navy, and there are two other brothers and three sisters.